


Sanguine Sun

by RoeOcean



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dubious Consent, F/F, F/M, First Time, Sexual Frustration, Tom's a thirsty boy, but he still respects Star a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 03:58:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14228742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoeOcean/pseuds/RoeOcean
Summary: Tom's tired of being an afterthought in Star's world, but with so many things on her mind, how can he get her to focus on him? Maybe spending a night with her is all it will take to bring them closer together. A dirty boy can dream, can't he?





	Sanguine Sun

“Why is it that, every time you’re distracted by something, it always seems like you leave me behind?” 

Star paused, mouth still around the spoonful of cream from the sundae they were sharing. It made her cheeks bulge out adorably, as if she were some sort of small animal who stored corn in its face. Her eyes, however, had taken on the look of a deer-in-the-headlights daze. Tom didn’t count the seconds it took for her to recover, but it was pretty fast. 

“Wha-ha-hat are you talking about dude?” Star asked, unswallowed cream spattering on the table. Tom was pretty sure some of it flecked onto his face too, and a prick of anger heated his blood. But just as quickly as it came, he forced it away. He breathed in through his nose and let it out slowly. Getting angry would only complicate things more, he told himself. Right now he was concerned with his girlfriend’s apparent lack of awareness that she had a habit of ditching him when she was pulled away by something more important than their dates. 

“Well, I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks that you sometimes… disappear without telling me where you’re going. I would appreciate a heads-up or something before you just go gallivanting off with Marco or Pony-Head or whoever.” 

He had been trying to keep the irritation from his voice, but it slipped through. Star had noticed it too, and her furrowed brow told him all he needed to know about how well she was going to take this conversation. 

“I am a princess, you know! I have to drop, tuck, and roll when I’m called to action!” Star scooped another dollop of cream and a few kernels of corn from the sundae and shoved it into her mouth, making a show of chewing furiously. Tom sighed and laid his spoon on the table. The handle was slightly melted due to his intense grip, but he hoped that the brisk outdoor air would cool it down some. 

It was a beautiful wintery afternoon in Mewni. The golden light of the setting sun gave the snow a wonderful sparkle. Icicles, swaying in the gentle breeze, chimed from glistening branches. People were milling about the small village center bundled in furs, some pushing their wares and others purchasing gifts in preparation for Stump Day. Tom and Star had spent the last few hours shopping for clothes (Tom loved his new boots and Star had bought a few charms to hang on her wand), and had decided to stop at a little ice cream cart before heading back to the castle. Tom liked the atmosphere of this place. It was peaceful and quiet, and quite pretty. He had just wanted to sit down for a nice treat and a simple clearing of the air about Star’s rude habit of leaving him in the dust, but this would probably take a while. 

Still, he could be gentlemanly about this. He would control his temper. 

“I know you’re busy; I am too, but we’ve got to make time for each other, darling.” Tom fiddled with his napkin as he spoke. He kind of wanted to blot Star’s face with it—she had cream on her nose. 

Star did not look impressed, but her gaze softened a little. She stuck her spoon back into the sundae and came up with more kernels and cream. She watched him through half-lowered lashes. “I’ve really been enjoying spending time with you, you know that, but sometimes things come up and I can’t stop for a second. It seems like if I don’t jump on the things that need to be done right away, stuff always explodes in my face. So I have to chase after them, no matter what. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for goodbyes.”

Tom nodded, encouraging Star to open up. He could feel the familiar squeeze of wrath constricting his heart, but he wanted to understand. Honestly, how could he not have empathy for her, for feeling like that. He felt that way too, often enough. They were both in pretty similar situations, even though they wouldn’t be taking over the running of their kingdoms for several years. Being next in line for the throne made their lives extremely hectic. He hated it, while Star was determined to expand her role. Their parents expected them to hold a certain amount of responsibility; in the past few months Tom had started to attend court regularly and become involved in the legislative process (which was good practice for managing his anger issues). And now that Star had returned from her year abroad on Earth, her passion for social reform had grown from nonexistent to consuming her everyday life. Not that she didn’t go out and party hard from time to time (in fact, he found it amusing that partying had a lot in common with her political agenda), but Tom wished she would slow down once in a while. It wasn’t good for her to be so… active so much. But that’s who she was. He couldn’t stop that. But maybe he could suggest taking a break, if only for a bit.

After a brief silence in which he pondered, and Star slurped up more of the sundae, Tom said, “I understand it’s difficult to think about other people in that sort of situation, what with the crazy things you and the other guys get into. But I wanted to let you know that it makes me feel left out. And if you need another hand, I can help you too! I have powers, see?” 

Tom lit the tips of all of his fingers, and made a peace sign to show her he wasn’t mad. Or that he was at least doing his best to stifle his choler. Star giggled and grinned. Her smile instantly put him in a better mood, and before he knew it they were complimenting each other’s lovey-dovey expressions. Remarks flew over who was cuter until Star declared to the village center that her boyfriend had the best snaggletooth across all 413 dimensions. The village folk scattered, and the couple laughed uproariously. In a moment of love and mirth, Tom reached out to hold Star’s hand, but with the slightest of movements, she shifted just out of range. He wondered for a split second if that was on purpose, and was about to ask, when Star cut him off. 

“Oh Tom, thank you for offering, but I think I can handle it. Besides, I do have my squire and my best friend to help me out! Among the three of us, we can usually get stuff done.” She spoke softly, eyes back on the sundae, spoon ready to dig in again. 

He wasn’t exactly shocked, but he was disappointed. Tom’s mouth contorted into a small scowl, a lingering anger that would hold until they finished their date. But he knew he couldn’t go against her wishes. If this was what Star wanted, he wouldn’t argue with her. She was incredibly powerful, and he knew she could handle her own, but he would still like to be included sometimes. And no, he wouldn’t resort to his old tricks of spying on her and her friends. He was different, now. His tactics had changed. 

Tom stared at his girlfriend’s unoccupied hand, pale against the dark wood of the table. He had always been prone to touch, and Star was a very physical person as well, always hugging and kissing anyone or anything she liked. So why had she pulled away from him then…?

He shook his head. She had probably just not wanted to get his hopes up about helping her. A touch would signify acceptance and permission, so… yes, that made sense. It was nothing to be upset about.

While Star ate the rest of their sundae and chattered about a new ball she wanted to plan, Tom thought about what he should do. 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

On their way back to the castle, they were sidetracked by a snowball fight. Well, it was really more of them picking up muddy snow and throwing clumps of it at each other while running along the wagon path, but it was fun all the same. Star jammed a particularly icy handful down the back of Tom’s jacket, and he retaliated by evaporating all of the other snowballs she held into steam. By the time they reached the massive front doors of Butterfly Castle, they were both soaked and caked in mud. Tom could do something about the wetness, but even he couldn’t get dirt stains out. 

After being let in and racing past an affronted doorman, Star began to guide them up to her bedroom for a change of clothes. 

They were both breathless, shivering, and giggling like little school girls. Tom had taken the opportunity to put his arm around Star’s waist, and she in turn had her hand at his side. They supported each other as they snuck to one of the side-staircases, tiptoeing as quietly as they could around guards and maids alike, snickering into their elbows. Tom didn’t know why he suddenly found himself so amused by their afternoon antics, but it pleased him to be creeping around with Star. This must be what a secret mission with her felt like. And their goal was… to change out of these yucky clothes. In her bedroom. 

Heat pulsed through his blood again, but it didn’t come from anger this time. He didn’t wave away the thoughts that flooded his mind. Perhaps unconsciously, Tom kneaded the flesh at Star’s middle, and she laughed, attempting to twist away. Her hand on him remained in place, however, and did nothing more than rest warmly at his waist. The closeness of their bodies only served to fuel his growing excitement. Maybe he could convince her to let him sleep over. But how?

If there was one thing Tom knew about Star Butterfly, it was that if she was forbidden from doing something, she’d pursue it to the end of days. But he couldn’t be the one suggesting it. It would be way too obvious that he was up to something, and Star had expressed in the past that she was uncomfortable with him staying overnight. Someone else would have to, willingly or unwittingly, plant the idea in her mind. But who?

Star interrupted his train of thought by whispering, “We should get you some clothes from Marco’s room. You’re taller than him, but it’ll do until the Knights of the Laundry get these—” She plucked at his filthy jacket, “—back to us.”

Tom shook his head. “I’d honestly rather wear one of your dresses.” He didn’t actually have a problem with wearing Marco’s stuff, but as he’d discovered in the past, it was a bit smaller and tighter than he was comfortable with. Tom also wanted to get to Star’s room as quickly as possible; his clothes were starting to dry and chafe. Plus, he was getting pretty thirsty. 

Star’s eyes widened and sparkled. She squeezed him closer to her, almost making them both stumble. “Really? Huh, that might be fun! But I’m kinda small compared to you… wait, what am I saying, I have magic to fix that! Or maybe I could make you your own dress! Would you like that?” 

He grinned. Seeing her so excited was incredibly cute and endearing. “Sure. I’d love to have one of your original pieces.” 

She was practically bouncing down the hall now. Tom had to levitate just a tiny bit to keep from falling, but he didn’t mind. They murmured back and forth about designs for the length of a corridor, and discussed make-up as well. Her happiness was contagious, and she hugged his side so tightly that he gasped; not for lack of breath, mind. They were both practically beaming by the time they reached the staircase that lead to her room.

Star couldn’t keep her voice to a whisper as she said, “Heck yeah man! You’re so much more fashionable than Marco anyway, I’ll really have fun with this one! But I have to get a feel for your style first, so maybe you can try on some of my old stuff.” 

“Awesome. Thank you so much, darling. It’ll be super cool to model your dress.” Tom was looking forward to it, but there still remained the matter that was most prominent in his mind. “Maybe you can make me an entire collection, from day outfits to _pajamas_.” He emphasized the last word, but Star didn’t catch on to his meaning. Or she pretended not to notice. 

Star tweaked Tom’s nose and said, “Maybe. We’ll see how the first dress turns out.” 

He blinked and was about to offer more suggestions, but a voice echoed down the hallway. 

“Star?” 

The couple stopped in their tracks, each with one foot on the first step of the staircase. They both recognized it; the timbre was unmistakable. Tom and Star shared anxious glances, but also gave each other reassuring squeezes. Star was the first to react, ungluing herself from Tom’s side and whipping around to smile and wave at none other than her mother, Queen Moon. 

“Hi mom!” 

The queen’s gaze slid from her daughter’s horrifyingly muddy boots to her dirt-flecked face and hair. Tom could see in real time the transformation of the queen’s expression, and it was something to behold. In an instant she had gone from apprehensive to aggravated, and nothing was more telling of this change than her pursed lips and narrowed eyes, which were so half-lidded that they were almost closed. Then she looked over Tom and her face darkened even further, if that were possible. He didn’t think that all she had to complain about was his grimy attire, either; he was pretty certain Queen Moon just didn’t like him. 

“Hello dear. Might I inquire as to why you’re walking about the castle in your current state.” Queen Moon did not phrase it as a question, and Tom watched as she clasped her hands in front of her full skirts, as if trying very hard not to cross her arms. He decided to let Star talk her way out of this for the both of them. 

“Well! We were out playing in the snow! And we just got back, so now we’re going to my room to change! Bye!” 

The attempted escape did not work, as the couple was halted yet again by the power, and great disappointment, in Queen Moon’s voice. 

“I thought you were going to start taking your duties more seriously, Star. I’d better not find a gossip rag tomorrow talking all about how you were mud-wrestling with your… friend.” 

The way she said that word, ‘friend’… She dropped it from her mouth as if it were a despicable, irritating thing, like a hair that was stuck in her throat. Tom’s blood began to bubble. 

Star must have noticed that his hands had formed into fists, because she caught his wrist and stroked the back of his hand. He relaxed a little bit, but the queen’s icy stare kept him on edge. He wanted to set something on fire really badly right now. 

Star winced. “I am taking things more seriously mom! I’m doing my best, but that doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes! I didn’t realize—”

Queen Moon cut her off. “Oh, no? You didn’t think that wallowing in the mud would dirty your clothing? You didn’t consider that the kingdom would turn their eyes upon you and judge your actions, silently condemning your choices while laughing with each other?” 

“Mom…” Star bit her lip, and blinked away unshed tears. Tom wanted to put his arms around her, but that would only draw Queen Moon’s attention to him, and he didn’t need any more fuel piled on to his fire. 

The queen’s stance softened when she saw that Star seemed remorseful, and she took a step forward. “I know that you know that your actions have consequences, dear. What I don’t think you understand is just how widely the effects ripple out, touching the people beside you and beyond you. There are people who love you and loathe you based on what they read or what they hear, and they don’t care about your reasons. They only perceive what they choose to believe. So if they see a princess acting as you have been doing, out in the open, well, I think that might lead to a turning point in your popularity.” 

It was true that Star was an incredibly popular princess, and she was quite approachable to the common people. They didn’t mob her in public or anything, but she was clearly loved. Tom had never read any bad press about her, unlike his own brushes with trashy magazines. This might have something to do with Star not being properly introduced into “society” yet (that would come with her 16th birthday). Regardless, Tom didn’t see what was so wrong about running around in the snow and having fun with a significant other. Sure they were both in sore need of a bath now, but overall it was viewed as a wholesome activity. So why was the queen making such a big fuss over it? 

Star cast her eyes downward and sighed. She clutched her hanging arm by the elbow, the other crossed under her chest. “I’m sorry mom. We’ll go upstairs and change right away, and I’ll send Tom home.” 

The queen seemed pleased by Star’s suggestion. She came forward to give her daughter a hug. Tom stepped swiftly aside. Was it just his imagination, or did she side-eye him with a disdainful look? His temper rose to a new height, but he could keep it under control. He had to! The last thing he wanted to do was to give the queen a chance to boot him out before he could even kiss his girlfriend good night. 

After a long moment, Queen Moon and Star parted, and Tom found himself letting out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. 

The queen gazed at her daughter fondly, running her hand through Star’s thick blonde hair. “I know you’re still young, and you do have some room to make mistakes, but you also have to learn from them. Do you understand?” 

Star nodded, smiling. “I do.” 

Tom wrinkled his nose. There was something fishy about how easily Star was absorbing this lesson from her mother. He saw no evidence now of regret or tears, only reserved shyness. She was definitely acting. She was probably plotting right now, underneath her demure façade, to do something stupid. Tom wondered if this was just the spur Star needed to disobey her own conscience and let him sleep over tonight. It was a dumb, thirsty teenage boy’s dream, and it came from a scummy place inside his heart, but he hoped for it nevertheless. The heat in his body flared again. 

“Good. Oh, and before I head to tea, I have something to tell you. In fact, it’s the reason why I came looking for you in the first place. You weren’t in your room, so I sent your squire out with a message for you. I had just returned from doing so when I spotted you ascending the stairs.” 

Star’s face, previously drawn and coy, lit up in interest. Tom’s smile crept back into place as he watched her. She was so cute, he couldn’t handle it. 

“Yeah? What is it mom?” Star was rocking back and forth on her heels now, and Tom saw the queen start to sway before she caught herself and held perfectly still. He stifled a giggle. 

“Well,” Queen Moon began, and shot Tom a look. It was quick, and it was uneasy, so he knew he wasn’t welcomed into this part of the conversation. Not that he had been welcomed before, but he supposed, incorrectly or not, that the queen didn’t care to challenge his presence. Practically everyone in all of the aristocratic circles knew about his infamous anger issues. It was wiser if Queen Moon didn’t get involved in that mess. 

Star glanced between her mother and her boyfriend, and waved her hand about in a dismissive manner. “Oh, Tom? Pssh. I doubt he’d spread all of our private royal business to the papers. Right?” She turned to him, and he nodded vigorously, not daring to say a word. 

Queen Moon’s eyebrows pinched again, and her pursed lips drew even tighter, but she deemed it safe. “All right. It’s not as if this won’t be national news when it makes it out anyway, which I’m sure it will somehow. Star, _her_ hearing is coming up, and I think it would be good for you to be there. It would serve you well to begin learning the intricacies of our justice system.” 

Tom tried very hard not to roll his eyes. Mewni had a bit of a problem with that sort of thing; crowds for guillotines largely surpassed public interest in the supreme court of justice. However, he was curious about the case Star would be attending. He couldn’t remember the last time the queen had presided over a trial, if that was indeed what she was implying. 

“A hearing? You mean… my…” Star’s eyes went wide with awe. Suddenly she was a flurry of questions, pelting her mother with words, “When is it? Who will be there? Is Meteora coming? Will there be snacks?” 

“Meteora?” Tom whispered to himself. That woman they had fought at the ball? 

Queen Moon held her daughter’s hands in an attempt to get her to slow down. It worked somewhat. Star chilled out a little bit, and the queen continued, “It’s after the holidays. The Council will be present, as well as a few of our justice ministers and counselors. You can invite anyone else you like, as long as I approve. I do not think Meteora is going to be present, but we will have a guard keeping watch for her. Um, typically there are several breaks for food during the day. It’s a long process.” 

Doubtless Star would think of more questions later, but for now she leaned against the banister and stroked her chin, digesting everything the queen was saying. “Cool, cool. Alright, nice. Thanks for telling me.”

“You’re welcome dear. Well, I should go to tea now, so I will see you later.” The queen turned and began to make her way to the main drawing room, her enormous skirts hardly rustling behind her. 

“Bye mom!” Star waved enthusiastically after her mother, and then grabbed Tom’s hand. “C’mon babe, let’s go.” 

They started up the staircase once more, Star tugging him along with a bit more fervor than before. 

“Babe?” Tom repeated, testing the pet name. While it certainly suited him, he didn’t think that Star would normally use it. He wondered what had brought it on. 

“Yeah! You’re a total babe, babe,” Star teased, and she let go of his hand for a second to stroke across his chest. The fire that had been burning low flared again, and he felt a jolt of desire strike somewhere inside him. He didn’t want to press his luck, but he thought that maybe, just maybe, Star was in the mood for rebellion.

She took his hand again before he could do anything back to her, and they continued on in silence for a while. They passed several paintings, most of them landscapes of Mewni and beloved animals. There were a couple of small vases and statues in the alcoves situated in the walls. Tom admired them as they climbed. One little figure gave him pause, and he stopped. Star almost fell backward, but caught herself on the railing. 

“What is it?” she asked, turning questioning eyes on him. 

“It’s your mother.” Tom pointed at the figure. It was a likeness of Moon in her earlier days. She seemed about the same age as Star was now. Her long, unbound hair, cast in what was probably silver, hung so far down her body that it brushed the tops of her knees. She was wearing a surprisingly form-fitting gown that accentuated her slight curves. One arm was outstretched to the sky, holding a piece of corn. The other arm was cupping her heart, which the sculptor had seen fit to place inside her open chest cavity. Her eyes were large, luminous, and appeared to follow whoever was looking at them. 

“Wow, creepy,” observed Star, poking the figure. Her finger came away with a high amount of silvery dust. “And gross.” 

The icon reminded Tom of the unpleasant confrontation they had had a few minutes before. Maybe he shouldn’t say anything, but something had been bothering him about it. And he had promised to be more communicative in this relationship. Tom took a deep breath and asked, “Hey, so, does your mother not like me very much?” 

Star abruptly turned to him. “What? No, no, no. She’s kind of cold to everybody. You’re not immune from that just because you’re my bf. Heck, you just saw her chew me out for something that’s not even a really big deal!” 

“But she ignored me the entire time! She didn’t even acknowledge that we were going up to your room together. She only addressed you.” Tom wasn’t so much angry about this as he was hurt, so he tried to keep his voice and temper down. 

“Do you really wanna be lectured by my mom?” Star threw her hands in the air. “I’m an expert at smoothing things over with her. You saw those crocodile tears! I’m pretty good at them by now. And also, normally I would argue with her that playing in the snow and getting all dirty is totally a fun thing to do and would not affect my popularity with the people at all, but I wanted to spare you the time and energy I would’ve had to put into that. Geez, it’s not like I can’t be a regular teen and a princess too! I know what I have to do.” 

Tom could see that Star was working up to something, but he didn’t want to get dragged into whatever family drama was happening there. They often confided their less-than-happy troubles with their parents to each other, but Tom was more focused on his own relationship to Star’s mother. Maybe that was selfish, but it was a problem that had distressed him for a while now, and he wanted to air it out. They could commiserate over their own families later. 

“Darling, I understand that she drives you insane sometimes, but I think there’s something going on. Something weird has been happening every time I see your parents.” 

Star glanced up the stairs. “Can you wait until we get to my room?” 

He shook his head. “I can be quiet if you want.” 

“Okay.” Star took his hand again and they continued on their way. 

This would be a good exercise in keeping himself calm. “So, I know that Mewni has had a lot of problems regarding… Mewman-monster relations,” Tom began in a low voice, “I think it’s pretty clear that throughout its history, Mewni has not treated the monster population very well.”

“I agree with that,” Star said gravely, watching the steps as they went up. “It’s one of the things that I’m trying to change. That won’t happen overnight, but I’m really working on it.” She sighed, and squeezed his hand, but wouldn’t look him in the eye. “I think I know what you’re going to say, Tom. My mom is… she’s not very good at handling that sort of thing. But she doesn’t dislike you!” 

It was his turn to sigh. “She does. I’m only half-Mewman, Star. Everybody can see my other half. And don’t get me wrong, I love my culture and my kingdom, but not everyone does. It’s going to create huge problems for us later if your mom doesn’t approve of me now.” He snuck a glance at her, trying to read her mood. She was smart, so maybe she wouldn’t ask him for more clarification. He would be super embarrassed if she asked—

“What are you talking about? Problems? What problems? We’re only teenagers. It’s not like…” Star halted so abruptly that Tom continued for a step before stopping. A look of dawning realization had taken over her face, so much so that her jaw dropped open and her eyes popped. She swiveled her whole body to gape at Tom, who turned away so quickly he almost spun 360 degrees. Heat blazed under his collar, spreading to his cheeks so fast it was almost painful. 

“Tom!” Star squealed. “You want to marry me?” She gripped his shoulders and squeezed, shaking him back and forth with such force that his head bobbed. “It’s way too early to think about that, silly! I’m like 14! And you’re only 16! What gives!” 

“S-Star! Stop!” he hissed, throwing off her hands and finally facing her. She was beaming, and it was so cute, but he ignored that and looked her in the eye. “You know as well as I do that these matches are made when we’re infants. I have no idea if our parents signed a deal, but it’s not that far away. I’ll be allowed to get engaged in 5 years.” 

Star’s radiant smile did not falter, but took on a bit of a sly edge. “A lot can happen in that time, Tom. Who knows? Maybe I’ll want Pony Head instead. Or a hot duke!”

He rolled his eyes. Her playfulness was giving him courage, but it was still embarrassing to lay himself bare like this. There was an inferno raging on his face. “Maybe. I won’t get in the way of your freedom to choose. But I want to let you know that I am a choice.” 

“A choice piece of—” she started to say, but was cut off by a deep, meaningful kiss. 

They held each other for a little bit; his hands tangled in her mud-speckled hair, and her arms caressed his back, stroking up and down. She opened her mouth and his tongue swept in, meeting hers in a joyful embrace. His fingers traveled from the locks of her hair to her lower back, massaging along the way. It was a moment of spontaneous happiness, and Tom didn’t want it to end. His skin burned, and the flames inside of him grew, urgently spurring his desire. 

Star broke away, and hopped backward. “You’re hot!” 

“Thank you.” He smirked, knowing what she had really meant. It was true; he couldn’t control his temperature when he was aroused. Star could protect herself with magic when she was expecting it, but the sudden spike of heat must have startled her. He could see himself reflected in her eyes—he was glowing like an ember. Tom looked down at his feet and wasn’t at all surprised to discover twin flames engulfing his boots. When he was overexcited the excess emotional energy often escaped through his soles. There wasn’t much he could do to prevent that. 

“Please don’t ruin the runner,” Star said, and just like that the moment of passion had passed. He wouldn’t forget it, though. And he would make sure it happened again. Not that he had a defined plan, of course. But maybe he could nudge things in the desired direction. It seemed as though things were already beginning to unfold accordingly. 

“Right, sorry.” Tom couldn’t extinguish the fires by will, so he decided to fly for the rest of the trip, keeping level with Star’s head by stretching horizontally, like Superman. He flipped over onto his back and laced his fingers behind his head. The ceiling was patterned with the cosmos, and he swore a comet raced overhead, winking out of sight as quickly as it had come. They remained quiet for a while, ascending slowly to the bedroom. 

As they neared the door to her apartments, Star spoke up, “I’ll try to talk to her about it. I’m not sure if she’s going to budge at all. But even if she doesn’t, there’s no way she can stop me from having anyone I want. Even if my choice is a peasant. Even if the entire country disapproves; I’ll do as Eclipsa did and set up my own kingdom somewhere else.”

Tom nodded in agreement, rearranging himself in a vertical position. It stung that Star was implying he was but one name on a very long list of potential spouses, but he could overlook that for now. They had plenty of time to plan out their future together. Tom felt a twinge of guilt as he considered this sentiment; it clashed horribly with what he aimed to do tonight. However, Star had a say in this too, he reminded himself. If she said no, he would respect her wishes. He did not want to fall out of favor with her ever again. On the other hand, if she said yes… There was a slight upset as Tom fought to regain his balance; an unbidden spurt of white-hot fire nearly melted the floor. Star shot him a look, but he shrugged. He took care to hover up several feet; the twin jets supporting him were still very hot, but using up the energy had helped calm him down. He thought for a moment, clinging to one piece of Star’s rant that he hadn’t fully understood. 

“Who’s Eclipsa?”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy!!! I actually started this fic quite some time ago- but am only now publishing it. You can probably guess that I meant to put it online during the hiatus, before Eclipsa's trial, but now we're doing it MY WAY. That said, I have been enjoying the season immensely, and I can't wait to see what's gonna happen in the finale!!!


End file.
